The ACCC has released a preliminary report into the market power being exerted by major digital platforms such as Google and Facebook. And while the commission's inquiry continues, it's clear it is looking at ways to curb the influence digital platforms have given they are privately run and have operated outside the traditional regulatory regimes.

Its focus has been on search engines, social media platforms and digital content aggregators with the spotlight brightly directed at Facebook and Google given their powerful influence.

I read an email the other day that contained this bummer of a statement: "Cigarettes are the only legal consumer product that, when used as intended, will kill half of all long-term users."

It's not news, but it's true.